The invention relates to a digger for producing a row of spaced relatively shallow cultivated spots and to the digger adapted to drill a row of spacedxe2x80x94apart relatively shallow holes in the soil. Each spot or hole is produced sequentially by the digger without stopping the forward motion of the equipment while each spot or hole is being produced. The present invention thus provides a compact machine for producing a plurality of spaced cultivated spots or holes in a cost effective manner.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,732,227 discloses machines which produce a row of equidistant hole without stopping the forward motion of the equipment.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,164,384 discloses an apparatus for producing a plurality of space apart cultivated spots in soil. The spots are produced without stopping the forward motion of the equipment. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,732,227 and 6,164,384 are hereby incorporated by this reference.
The holes and the spots which are produced using the afore described equipment have a considerably inclined wall from the maximum depth forward in the direction of forward motion.
It is an object of the present invention to improve the shape of the holes and spots which are produced by the digger without stopping the forward motion.
The invention provides a traveling rolling digger for sequential hold drilling and for producing sequential cultivated spots in soil. The traveling rolling digger has at least one drilling shaft which is rotated by a drive mechanism about the longitudinal shaft axis and has a rotating soil penetrating edge. Said at least one drilling shaft is mounted to roll about a horizontal shaft in a soil penetrating plane while said horizontal shaft moves in the direction of travel of the traveling rolling digger. Said at least one rotating drilling shaft enters the soil at an entry angle and digs into the soil while the horizontal shaft moves in the direction of travel and said drilling shaft continuously changes its angle relative to the soil from the entry angle to a vertical position. Said drilling shaft has at least one following soil penetrating and lifting shank which is mounted to roll about said horizontal shaft. Said shank is positioned to enter the soil after entry of said drilling shaft and shortly before or when said drilling shaft reaches the maximum depth at its vertical position and acts as a pivot to lift the drilling shaft while the traveling rolling digger moves in the direction of travel. The horizontal shaft is mounted on a support structure which is adapted to be connected to or mounted on a self propelled vehicle.
The following soil penetrating and lifting shank has a soil penetrating end which is preferably a chisel blade with its edge positioned in said soil penetrating plane or is a spear head.
said horizontal shaft being mounted on a support structure which is adapted to be connected to or mounted on a self propelled vehicle.
Said at least one lifting shank has a shoulder member mounted transversely on said lifting shank a distance from said penetrating edge which is substantially equal to the distance said lifting shank end penetrates into the soil. The shoulder member may be curved in a direction to the horizontal shaft. Said shoulder member acts to stop further soil penetration by said lifting shank and to function as a pivot surface to pivotally lift said drilling shaft.
The shoulder member extends radially outward from said lifting shank to provide a surface substantially transverse to the soil penetrating direction of sufficient area to substantially stop further soil penetration.
The traveling rolling digger further comprising at least one leading soil penetrating shank having a soil penetrating end. The at least one lending soil penetrating shank is mounted to roll about the horizontal shaft with its soil penetrating end rolling in a same soil penetrating plane as the at least one drilling shaft rolls in or in a soil penetrating plane parallel thereto, the at least one soil penetrating shank being of a sufficient length so that it penetrates the soil before the penetrating edge of the at least one drilling shaft penetrates the soil.
The drilling shaft of the traveling rolling digger is rotatably connected to a transmission head to rotate about the longitudinal axis of the drilling shaft. The transmission head is connected to a power unit which provides power to rotate the drilling shaft about its longitudinal axis and the power unit is connected to the drilling shaft through the transmission head.
The drilling shaft may be a digging auger having at least one helical blade ending in cutting lips or a spot cultivator which comprising at least one tilling shaft and at least one tilling element extending from the tilling shaft and rotating with the tilling shaft.
In another embodiment a downwardly extending cultivator member is rigidly connected to the at least one tilling shaft and is spaced from said shaft and rotates therewith. This downwardly extending cultivator member is of a sufficient length so that when said tilling shaft reaches a maximum penetration of the soil, the downwardly extending cultivator member penetrates into the soil and forms a depression in the soil surrounding the cultivated spot and a mound in its center as it rotates with said tilling shaft.